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Haneen Zoabi and 180 of the adoring faithful in Richmond

22 January 2017. I am at an event organised by the Richmond Palestine Solidarity Campaign. A big crowd, perhaps 180, have gathered to hear Israeli Arab member of the Knesset Haneen Zoabi speak. The room is full, but the demographic breakdown is simple. A large majority are white, British and over 55. It is the typical PSC crowd.

Haneen Zoabi had received a standing ovation at the PSC annual general meeting just two days before, she receives one here before she has even spoken. I am in the presence of PSC royalty.

The situation with the Arabs of Israel is complex. If Zoabi was here to fight for the Israeli Arab citizens, she would have my attention. If her aim was to improve the living standards, education and employment prospects of those who voted her into power, she would have my support. If the real goal was to reduce the inequality that minorities often experience, I’d wave a flag in her name. But Zoabi is not here to represent the needs of Israel’s minorities, she is here to perpetuate the external conflict.

When speaking of the democratic freedoms of a minority group Zoabi comments thus: “We want the opposite. Give us our land back. Give us our homeland back. Give us our people back. We don’t want to scream, we don’t need this freedom of expression”. This, as the entire Middle East burns in radical Islamic bush fires around her.

Racism, racism, everywhere

Not everyone in the room is a racist, not everyone an antisemite. But many are. Two PSC activists are speaking in the row behind me. One had been to Salisbury for an event with Ilan Pappe on 19th January. He had also been at the PSC AGM over the weekend. Busy guy.

He spoke of how ‘real Palestinians’ are needed to speak up against Balfour. Pappe he said “is not a real Palestinian”. What he meant of course, was that “Pappe is Jewish”. There is no other translation that works. This the evidence that anti-Zionism cuts too close to antisemitism to be ignored. Pappe is no Zionist. If Pappe was exactly Pappe, but with only the Jewish identity stripped away, he would be ‘a real Palestinian’ without question. Pappe’s offence here is simply his ‘Jewishness’.

For a PSC activist to suggest Pappe is not a ‘true Palestinian’, is like someone suggesting I am not ‘truly British’. No difference. None.

Two more standing next to me just before the event begins. Discussing PSC attempts to have Zoabi speak to British MP’s whilst she is here. Sir Alan Duncan’s name is mentioned, and from Duncan it was just a short trip to discussion over the Al Jazeera documentary and the ‘lobby’. In the heart of Richmond’s PSC base there is no need to even look over the shoulder as it is identified as the ‘Jewish lobby’.

Then there are the faces I recognise. Hard core antisemitic PSC groupies. Examples of the nature of ‘humanitarian concern’ that drive the Palestinian cause. In the image below are social media posts *only* from some of those who attended last night. Posts about Chabloz, Atzmon, Mein Kampf and Holocaust denial. When these are your points of reference for all things ‘Jewish’, all talk of it just being opposition to Zionism are washed away.

The reason I mention these people, is because I know who they are and those who run the PSC know who they are. They are welcomed at these events like royalty. Everyone knows them, they know everyone and they play meet and greet with the speakers. Rabid holocaust deniers some of them may be, but the Palestine Solidarity Campaign permits their entry to the event. How many one wonders, are actually in the crowd?

Zoabi speaks

Haneen Zoabi spoke for about 75 minutes and then answered questions for another thirty. The thrust of her entire talk was simple. The Israeli Arabs are a persecuted minority. The only way to save them against the ‘Apartheid’ is to boycott them. Zoabi is in search of equality that needs boycott (BDS) to achieve the dream where everyone lives together in peace. An Israeli MK, one of the only Arabs in the entire Middle East who has a democratic voice, using it to call for a boycott of the state she is meant to represent.

Then there is the visible moment of hypocrisy when the masks slips, the mask always slips. The truth is always there if you are looking for it. This time it came during the questions when Zoabi was asked about a one state / two state solution.

“We are for two states, but not one of them of course is a Jewish state. Two states for all of its citizens. After dismantling settlements, after. No settlements (Jews) inside the West Bank. An independent Palestinian state with the borders of 1967. Right of return, Jerusalem the capital, and a state for all its citizens (once the Jews have gone)”

You can see the clip here:

There are two main problems with the entire Palestinian cause. The first is that it deliberately perpetuates a conflict. It is supported by distortion and lies. Its focus is on Israel, a tiny democratic Jewish state and it will have no intention of making real peace for as long as it manages to dupe others into supporting the cause.

The second is that every banner that gets waved over this cause, every dollar that gets spent, every march that is made, is effort that is missing from a far worthier, far more honest cause. All those fools that stood and applauded this speech, that spend their time helping the Arabs of Gaza and Ramallah to waste another generation on a pointless conflict. Those that actually believe Zoabi needs their help. These people have had their attention taken away from people elsewhere who really do need their help.

On both counts, Zoabi and her ilk should be ashamed of themselves.

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Tut tut Stephen, I cannot allow use of that word here without highlighting you are deliberately using offensive terminology. It suggests more about you than those you dislike. I’d rather not have to edit and not have to see it here. Behave.

On point. You misinterpret PSC inaction for incompetence. It isn’t, it is their strategy. They do not waste any energy, Like a pulse, theirs is a repetitive message that must be replayed over and over. They have no interest in engagement. They are drug dealers looking for junkies, why engage with drugline at all?

David I was not in the habit of using the said expression. Until that is I woke up one morning to learn that it had been stipulated as being antisemitic.

Prior to the OULC scam I had never heard it described as antisemitic and nor had you.

It is short for Zionist a political ideology or if you prefer a basket of political ideologies, of the same genre as ” Trot”. Like Trot it is invariably a pejorative. Yet now we have a situation in which there is just one political ideology we may not refer to pejoratively. I now use it as a , admittedly juvenile, gesture of defiance and resistance.

Doubtless I will hear that it is commonly associated with neo Nazi websites. That is another myth created at the same time.

Stipulation, of course, is the simplest way to increase antisemitism. If an expression is was not antisemitic yesterday but is today then, obviously, to the extent that it continues to be used there has been a spike in antisemitism. For example , my above post is an antisemitic incident when eleven short months ago it would not have been.

Stephen, As you probably know, I am not one to jump up and down over use of language (regardless of how I view the meaning of individual words). You are not using it because you do not think it is antisemitic, you are using it because others believe that is it. For this reason arguing with you over its legitimacy is pointless. I only pointed out that you deliberately used offensive terminology (as in we both know it has been labelled offensive and we both know you are using it deliberately.)

Ha well David you are moving the goal posts. The expression, it seems is felt to be offensive by many. Well I agree that being gratuitously offensive is no way to live. If that was the case I would not use it. But the charge is that its use is antisemitic.

You couldn’t make it up . This 5 th Columnist democratically elected MK calls for the dismantlement of the Jewish state of Israel from within the Knesset and uses her protected position and freedom of speech to preach subversion to British antisemites.

Gosh, “racist Zios”! How extraordinarily quaint. How wonderfully literate of you. “Zilch.” I am so impressed by the wealth of your mind’s understanding. PSC suffer from “harassment.” I wonder whether you would like to describe this”harassment” from “racist Zios” because I seem to have missed something important.

I don’t seem to recall, for example, how Israel-haters have been “harassed by racist Zios” at universities. All I can recall is how Jewish students have been “harassed” at King’s College, London. SOAS. UCL. etc I remember the President of the NUS calling Birmingham University something nasty such as a “Zionist . . . ” I do recall a number of riots, chair throwing, intimidation and so on by Israel haters.

I don’t recall these “racist Zions” in their hundreds walking through the streets with flags and banners, screaming and shouting “death to PSC” or”death to Palestinians” in the streets of London.I don’t recall the intimidation outside of shops, or smashing supermarkets and their products. I do not see such vile behaviour from these “racist Zios” but I do see the lies, libels, demonisation, delegitimisation and treating Israel differently by nasty antisemites pretending they are concerned about Palestinians.

Yes, Zoabi and the PSC are so concerned about their brothers in Syria that they hear nothing, speak nothing and see nothing. Instead, all they see, hear and speak is their irrational, pathological obsession with a tiny Jewish state. Khaled Abu Toameh’s latest article at Gatestone is written just for you.

As you say David, a terrific event which was packed out, despite being organised at just 10 days notice. Interesting that you refuse to describe the Knesset member as Palestinian – I thought Zionists were very keen on the right to self-define identity.

Anyway, as you used a false name when entering the meeting and recorded it when it was clearly stated at the start of the meeting that recordings were not permitted, you won’t have any objection if Richmond & Kingston PSC exercises its right to exclude you from future events.

Oh Michael… No, no, no, no. Do you want to try that entrance again? How about “David, whist we have a difference of opinion on many matters, there is absolutely no way that holocaust denial is accepted within our walls. If you just let us know who is posting PSC material with one hand, and denying the holocaust with the other, we will make sure they will be refused entry from our events.”

Instead your only action is to pick on a member of the press who you wish to ban because you don’t like what he writes.

On the subject of my entry, I did not use a false name to enter and Haneen explicitly said she had no problems with people recording. I sincerely apologise if you feel I should have heeded your request over hers. I most certainly would not have made a recording had she not suggested it was acceptable. But honestly, telling the press they are not welcome whilst allowing the holocaust deniers. Tut tut. I am sure this isn’t really the message you want to be leaving here.

So I do hope to see you at future events. Maybe you can introduce yourself. This event was fascinating. Like I said, if Haneen had actually been dealing with the real issues that face those who voted her into power, I’d be singing her praises as much as you already do. We both want peace, I do not see why the PSC are so intent on denying me entry to their public events.

You did you a false name – I have the full list before me and you’re not on it

She said you can record if you show it in its entirety. You didn’t.

How many more lies

Incidentally, when you say “white, British and over 55” you might have added “just like me”. If you’re going to sneer at people because of their age or ethnicity you’re not well placed to object to racism or other forms of bigotry are you.

As for someone supposedly (we only have your word for this and you are a proven liar) saying Pappe is not a real Palestinian (something with which you doubtless agree) as “proof” the hall was stuffed with anti-Semites is that really the best you can do? Pathetic.

Michael. I am a member of the press and at no point did I use a false name. I had no need to. You should learn the workings of the systems you use before you go around accusing people of lying. Tut tut. You do not get to decide what is true and what is not, merely out of convenience.

The very reason I bother PSC so much is *because I tell the truth* and argue my case in a logical and polite fashion, using first hand evidence to support my arguments.

As for the recording. The request was “not to edit words out”, but to use them exactly as she said them. I didn’t change anything and I did what she asked me to do. Stop making up stories.